Friday 24th October 2025 ~ Issue 32
PARISH PRIEST: Fr Patrick Mugavin PRINCIPAL: Mrs Terrielynn Groves
SAC CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Joyce Nedziwe CHILD SAFETY OFFICER: Ms Tania Stevens
Child Safety Statement
School Values
Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Respect Our School - Hormati Sekolah Kita
Do Your Best - Lakukan Yang Terbaik
Help Others to Succeed - Bantu Teman Untuk Berhasil
Important Dates
TERM 4
Friday 31st October - Assembly @ 2.55pm
Monday 3rd November - Book Fair begins
Tuesday 4th November - Melbourne Cup Holiday
Wednesday 5th November - Prep Transition morning
Monday 10th November - 3/4 Swimming
Tuesday 11th November - Prep Transition morning
Tuesday 11th November - Remembrance Day
Friday 14th November - Assembly @ 2.55pm
Friday 28th November - Assembly @ 2.55pm
Friday 5th December - Christmas Parade
Tuesday 9th December - Orientation Day
Thursday 11th December - Junior Sports Day
Friday 12th December - P/1/2 Excursion
ADVANCE NOTICE
Thursday 18th December - Last day of the school year for students
From the Principal
Dear Families,
We have had a most wonderful day today for Mission Day. Yesterday we learnt about why we need to care for God's creation and today we have put our learning into action by raising money. Thanks to all our families for your amazing support of this event.
On Monday, our Gr 3/4 boys basketball team competed in Regional Hooptime and, after winning the grand final, will head to the state championships. Congratulations! What a team they are! Our 5/6 girl's team will play next Monday.
As many of you will know we are considered a bush fire risk school. This means that on a day deemed a catastrophic fire risk, our school will close. We have all our emergency procedures up to date to ensure the safety of all of us at school as we head into the summer season.
We have been working hard on our class structures for 2026 and are very excited to let you know that we will be offering two classes of Gr 1 and two of Gr 2, instead of our usual 1/2 combination. At this stage, this will be a trial for next year - hopefully all will go well!
Have a wonderful weekend, shared with those you love,
Terrielynn
CST Day and Mission Day
Catholic School Culture
MASS TIMES – 2025
Hamilton: Saturday 6pm and Sunday 10.30am
Dunkeld: Sunday 8.30am
Glenthompson: Sunday 8.30am
Penshurst: Sunday 8.30am
Prayers
Please keep a number of our families in your prayers who are experiencing illness at this time. We send our best wishes to them all.
St Vinnies
We have been approached by St Vinnies to once again donate Christmas desserts to their Christmas Appeal. We will set some tubs up near the office in early November and start taking donations. Thanks for your support!
Learning and Teaching
Sports Catch Up
Regional HoopTime
Congratulations to the Grade 3/4 Boys who won their HoopTime division on Monday!!! What an amazing achievement!! We are incredibly proud of the All Star Boys and their super coach Casey Rook!
The boys had a few close games throughout the Round Robin and ended up securing victory in the Grand Final by 8 points over a team from Horsham. The All Star boys will now progress to the Junior State Hooptime on Monday 1st December in Melbourne.
Our Grade 5/6 Girls All Star team will play on Monday 27th October. We cannot wait to report on their day!
Go team St Mary’s!!
The teams are:
Grade 3/4 All Star Boys
Players: Darrell M, Jed P, Jonty M, Jed R, George R, Kai T, Kieran F, Lachie R
Grade 5/6 All Star Girls
Players: Charlie M, Hana C, Nina R, Isabella T, Alani R, Johannah W, Meki C
Saturday Morning Netball
Saturday Morning Netball started last weekend. From all reports it was a fantastic start - the sun was shining, the courts were full and it was wonderful to see so many happy kids out there playing the game they love with their school friends.
If your child is playing and you are not receiving any SeeSaw messages please let me know. If you need another hard copy of the draw please reach out as well.
We wish all our teams all the very best for the season ahead!
District Cricket (Cricket Blast Competition)
The Cricket Blast School Cup will be held on Thursday 30th October at Pedrina Park. The day will run from 9.30am to approximately 2.30pm. We have around 47 students attending. Chris Minney, Bec Kearney, Bec Sherlock, Casey Rook and Mel Fitzpatrick will attend on the day. The interested students have received a note.
Grade 3/4 Swimming Program
The Grade 3/4s will swim from Monday 10th November - Friday 14th November from 12.00-2.00pm. Please ensure you return the ‘blue’ permission note by Friday 31st October. Thank you.
School Swimming Carnival
We can confirm our School Swimming Carnival for Grades 3-6 will be on Friday 21st November at the Monivae Pool. More information will follow in the coming weeks.
Equestrian
We wish Rebecca Shelly all the best competing against others school today in the interschool equestrian eventing. Rebecca is representing St Mary's.
Dates for your Diary
TERM FOUR
October
Monday 27th October - Regional HoopTime Grade 5/6 (Hamilton)
Thursday 30th October - District Cricket Grade 5/6 (Hamilton)
November
Wednesday 5th November - State Athletics (Melbourne)
Monday 10th - Friday 14th November - Grade 3/4 Swimming Program
Friday 21st November - School Swimming Carnival Grades 3-6 @ Monivae
December
Thursday 11th December - Junior Athletics Carnival
Victorian Government’s Get Active Kids Voucher Program is now open! Eligible families can receive up to $200 per child to help cover the cost of sport and active recreation, including swimming lessons.Why apply?
- Up to $200 off registration or lesson fees (plus included uniforms or equipment).
- Swimming lessons are eligible under the program.
- HILAC is a registered provider, so you can redeem your voucher directly with us for your child’s swimming lessons.
- Current round: open from 15 October 2025 to 13 November 2025 (or until funds are exhausted). Vouchers must be used by 31 December 2025.
Who can apply?
Children aged 0–18 years who are listed on a valid Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card (and Medicare card). Some special-consideration categories also apply.How to apply:
- Visit the Get Active Victoria – Voucher Program page.Apply For Vouchers | Get Active Victoria
- Complete the online application form.
- Once approved, you’ll receive a voucher code.
- Bring or email your voucher to HILAC, and we’ll redeem it directly for your child’s swimming lessons.
If you need help applying or redeeming your voucher, please get in touch — we’re happy to assist.
Let’s get our kids active, confident, and safe in the water while saving on lesson costs!
Elise Gordon
egordon@smhamilton.catholic.edu.au
Book Fair
Great news - our annual Book Fair is back for 2025! It will be held in Week 5 of this term, in the spare classroom space, next to 5/6W.
The Book Fair will be open for browsing on Monday 3rd November and Wednesday 5th November of that week, with the buying days being Thursday 6th November and Friday 7th November, both before and after school. It's a great chance to grab some Christmas gifts too!
Just like last year, we now have an option to pay via Tap and Go. You can still pay online prior to the fair, as well as cash, but this adds an extra payment option.
An invitation to the Book Fair (with information about how to pay online) will be sent home very soon. Please keep an eye out for this. Your children will bring home a 'Wish List' as well, after they have had a chance to browse the Book Fair.
If you have any questions about our upcoming Book Fair, please don't hesitate to contact myself or Casey Rook.
Tania Stevens
Wellbeing
Child Safety
From 10 December 2025, many social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australians under 16 create or keep an account. The information from the eSafety Commissioner, accessed via the link below, will help you understand why, and how you can help your under-16 through the change.
You’ll find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), tools to help you work through it together, and links to helpful resources you can explore.
Tania Stevens
Cybersafety Sessions
Leading Senior Constable, Keleigh Flavel who works as a Youth Resources Officer with the Victorian Police, has offered to run two cybersafety sessions with our 3/4s and 5/6s. She will be at school to run these sessions on Tuesday 11th November. We look forward to hearing what she has to say.
Leadership and Stewardship
Kitchen Garden
It's been a busy time with two cooks per week happening in the kitchen.
We continue to use seasonal fresh products in all of the recipes.
Lyn and I attended a Shared Table network day yesterday where we were able to take part in our own kitchen garden experience, which helps us to learn from other people who run these programs in their schools.
We look forward to introducing some new and fresh ideas for our program in 2026.
Until then, we will keep running a couple of cooks per week to ensure all students have their turn in the garden and kitchen this year.
On the menu today were scones, made especially for Mission Day. Delicious!
Catherine Egan
Kitchen Garden Week 3
Delicious food that Lyn and Catherine created at their Shared Table network day.
Icy Poles are back!
Now that we are well into Term 4, our Student Councillors will once again be selling icy poles for $1 each on Fridays, during lunch time. This will begin next Friday, 31st October, and will continue each Friday, until the end of the year. The councillors will meet early next week to discuss the charity they would like to donate the proceeds to. We will publish that decision in next week's newsletter. Thank you!
Community Engagement
St Mary's Christmas Parade
🍭We are looking for donations of pre wrapped lollies for our BBQ.
Assembly
Our next assembly will be on Friday 31st October at 2.55pm.
School Country bus travellers - not Hamilton town bus travellers
The School Bus Program will process the school bus applications towards the end of Term 4, 2025. This includes renewals of current applications and offers for new 2026 applications which will be emailed to applicants then.
